The EPs also preview Team Arrow’s changing dynamics, Oliver and Moira’s cold war and Felicity’s “massive” backstory payoff.

LOCKING LIPS | The decision to have a romantic relationship between Nyssa and the younger Ms. Lance “was really more about Sara than anything else,” explains Kreisberg. “We thought about this at the beginning of the season. If you watch [Episode] 205, there’s a reference to ‘the beloved’ and ‘you think that’s going to keep you safe.’ We talked about, ‘Does Ra’s al Ghul have a son?’ Then we were like, ‘Could it be Talia?’ We felt like Talia had just been done in the movies.” Ultimately, one of the writers suggested Nyssa, which “felt like something new and different.”

Kreisberg maintains that the pairing isn’t meant to be “salacious.” Rather, “It’s a pretty chaste relationship from what you see on screen,” he continues. “For us, it just touched on a couple of interesting things like the idea that Sara found herself in this terrible world and found this one person who treated her with love and kindness.” And although Sara ends the episode reuniting with Oliver, “We actually specifically avoid using the term ‘bisexual,'” points out Guggenheim. “We didn’t want to label her at all.”

But her past will come back to haunt her: Katrina Law will reprise her role as Nyssa later this season. As for whether Sara and Oliver are a couple now, “That’s actually part of the journey of these next five episodes,” reveals Kreisberg. “Oliver has not had many successful relationships, and part of him and Sara moving forward is [the question of], ‘Is this something that can work given both of our [pasts]?'”

NOT-SO-WELCOME HOME | Sara’s readjustment to life in Starling City won’t be entirely smooth, as evidenced by Laurel’s violent reaction to her sis’ return. “Part of the reason we did this episode was to free Sara, at least for the time being, from the threat of the League of Assassins, to allow her to fully be the Black Canary and come home and all the delicious implications that that brought,” says Kreisberg. “You’re really going to see how Sara’s return affects everybody.”

SMOAK SECRETS | Felicity fans finally got some much-wanted backstory about the IT gal this week – and there’s more to come! Make sure to remember the tidbits Ms. Smoak dropped about her parents, because “There are two massive things that are going to happen towards the end of the season that you heard in that speech that will payoff,” teases Kreisberg.

‘OLICITY’ BONDED | It seems Mama Queen’s threats were empty: Felicity and Oliver’s relationship is “actually going to be strengthened” following her decision to spill Moira’s secret, assures Kreisberg. Adds Guggenheim: “I don’t even think Moira necessarily believed what she was saying to Felicity. Moira was trying to manipulate Felicity into staying silent. It would never even occur to Oliver to be angry at Felicity.”

A FAMILY DIVIDED | “The cold war between Oliver and Moira is not going to go unnoticed by anyone,” previews Kreisberg. Meanwhile, despite her stint in prison and the collapse of her relationship with her son, Moira “still really hasn’t had her come-to-Jesus moment… and that’s coming,” teases the EP. Her lie “is going to have far-reaching implications for the characters.” Guggenheim adds that there’s even more deception to come. “There’s just lies all over the place in this whole family… Can you have a family, even, based on lies?” And Oliver, often a liar himself, is going to realize “that as much as he despises his mother, he’s actually a lot more like her than he wants to admit,” says Kreisberg.

TEAM ARROW EXPANDED | With Roy and Sara’s additions to the group, “The cave’s getting full,” says Kreisberg with a laugh. “It used to be a place where Oliver said, ‘Everybody jump,’ and everybody else said, ‘How high?’ What you’re going to start to see is that other people have differing opinions.” Guggenheim says the next episode also will explore “Felicity’s reaction to Sara, the new member of Team Arrow,” as well as what her addition means for the team, Felicity — and Oliver and Felicity.

There is too much tension in having Sara there at all. I know it makes for good TV and the story line but when you get through, Felicity IS the team player and LOVES Oliver unconditionally. Whatever they come up with about her parents will probably mess up the love will win in the end rule like the writers always do!!! Go ahead writers, disappoint me. I dare you.

don’t know much about the green arrow’s characters beyond, arrow is oliver queen. black canary is dinah lance and that green arrow and black canary got married.so see if you you can follow my illogical logic.you have a character called felicity smoak. smoak makes me think of smoke.smoke brings to mind smoke and mirrors.smoke and mirrors is a metaphor for magic.magic is performed by a magician or wizard.who was the most famous wizard?merlin.therefore felicity smoak is malcolm merlyns daughter and also tommy’s sister.did you follow all that?makes plenty of sense right

I don’t see how Thea’s paternity was any of Felicity’s business, frankly. It wasn’t her secret to tell and that she did annoyed me a LOT. I also thought Laurel’s reaction to Sara’s return was completely justified – it would have been unrealistic to have any other reaction. But, given time, like with Oliver, I think she will forgive. The ending had me WTF-ing. Seriously.

<3 Arrow! This season has been excellent! Reminds me of the second season of BTVS. The writing, production, and stunts are A+mazing. Loved Sara and Nyssa's backstory. I do have a question, is Laurel not going to become the Canary?

This being a tv series, the writers are under no obligation to follow the comic books storylines. That being said, the writers have regularly talked about Laurel being on a “journey,” which would suggest that we could expect to see her donning tights and a mask at some point before series end. Given that it took Sara years and training by the LOA to become Black Canary, it is hard from this perspective to see how the journey Laurel is on will lead to that conclusion. That is why they are the writers, and being paid so well

I fully expect that Sara will die, Felicity will remain Felicity — though I suspect we’ll see her on both this and the new Flash show, and Laurel will become the new Black Canary. Laurel’s character is NOT my favorite, but I don’t hate her. I think Katie Cassidy is a very talented young woman (anyone ever see “Harper’s Island” but me?), but I think the producers/writers have gone out of their way to make the character of Laurel into a harpy.

But I suspect she’ll discover that Canary is Sara right before Sara gets killed — and I’m guessing at the hands of Slade/Deathstroke. (After all, on the island Ollie “chose” Sara and Shado got killed.) Sara’s death will throw Ollie into a tailspin, but I think Laurel will just about lose it. And when the League of Shadows offers her a chance to trail with them, she will go.

The LOS will be a way for the producers to “speed up” her training, so she doesn’t have to be gone for 10 years, learning from the masters. I also suspect she’ll get the mirakuru and become much, much stronger. By the time she gets back, she’ll have some training, a lot of strength, and a nasty, mean edge. No offense to those folks who don’t like Ms. Cassidy, but the actress DOES have the chops to pull this off. And with that, we’ll get to bring her father into more of the story, and let’s be honest, they’ve pretty well lost track of him this season, and he’s arguably the best actor on the show.

I’m also going to be entirely a guy here and comment that I TOTALLY understand the reason Ollie hooked up with Sara again. Have you seen her? Google Kaity Lotz. She’s almost ridiculously attractive, stunningly built, and seems to have a winning, playful personality. Personally I hope her character gets killed off just so the actress can go on to do something else.

I’m Olicity all the way so even though I hated the ending of the episode, I absolutely love Sara and I hope to see more of her (but not hooking up with Oliver, just NO). I wonder if she’ll help with Roy’s training.
Moira… I do not trust that woman, I’m glad Felicity can see that. She’s manipulative and a liar, yeah, I’m not a fan of Moira.
There’s not enough Felicity and about Felicity on the show, it seems it will change in the future, I sure hope so.

Ok firstly for all you Olicity extremists wanting their happily ever after ITS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN! Pick up a green arrow comic and look at GA’s love interest, surprise surprise it’s the black canary. Personally I hope they keep Sara as BC Caity Lotz is really portraying that character really well, for those that say but laurel is BC in the comics, Tommy Merlin was the dark archer in the comics too and look how they went with that. Tonight’s episode was brilliant and I’m interested to see exactly how Slade “deals” with Moira running for mayor. Nyssa was portrayed well but I wish they showed more of the apathy she was known for rather than the twisted hell hath no fury like a woman scorned path they took with her. Laurels outburst at the end was both justified in the way that she was right about all points she made to Sara, but ridiculous in the fact that she managed to forgive Oliver pretty quickly on the first point she tried making to Sara. Finally for everyone up in arms about Sara and Oliver hooking up at the end of the episode, it seems to me the EP’s are thinking about caving to pressure and are considering keeping Sara as BC (which I personally think is the best way to go, especially if they read the boards and take the Slade doin the whole choose who lives or die thing To Oliver that Ivo did but with Sara and Laurel) I can’t wait for the rest f the season it’s had so many hilights so far I can’t wait for many more to come.

SEE…This is EXACTLY what I would EXPECT from a “lurel” fan or whatever..WHAT you comic fanatics don’t SEEM TO EVER MENTION is that, yeah, the comics HAVE them getting married BUT you and the REST of the alurel fans that LOVE to shove it in EVERYONE else’s FACE is the FACT that, “they get MARRIED, THEY ALSO GET DIVORCED” and IN THE NEW COMICS, the TWO don’t even KNOW each other and haven’t even meet!! I mean, really, if YOU want to go the “comic” book route, BE HONEST and not just say, ‘the two are married’ and END IT THERE! How pathetic of your and dishonest to those OUT there that have NO clue when it comes to the comic book world of BC/GA, so, in the end, SCREW UP for lying to the public!

Sorry for being a purist the fact is I’m not a LAUREL fan, if your going to call me one at least spell it right, I’m actually a big fan of Sara, that’s why I want to see her stay on as BC and your right they do get divorced in the comics. Now while we’re on that topic you seem to have casually forgotten that the character of Felicity Smoak isn’t even a GA character and that she actually gets married to a completely different character in a completely different comic, don’t ignore facts you don’t want to see if your going to accuse someone else of the same

I’m not a fan of any of the girls in the movie but I incline to Felicity because she is with him every day (from the start of the movie) and knows all his moves. It will be grate if Slade will be her dad ((as the comment abouve states)) and took her and train her for a season or 2 (given she will be kill in the near future-wich I know will be because the main character needs to miss her a little to fall in love with her). Or probably a new girl will appare!

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